Method for tracing a digital information element in a computer system

Abstract

A method for tracing a digital information element in a computer system including electronic devices of users and a system for archiving digital information elements including a blockchain-type distributed database, the method including a step of making the digital information element from the electronic device of one of the users, a step of archiving the digital information element, the archiving step including a substep of generating an identification element of the version of the digital information element, the method including a step of adding the identification element signed with a secure element associated to this user and/or to their electronic device in the distributed database, the addition step including a substep of encrypting the identification element from a cryptographic algorithm and the secure element, the cryptographic algorithm including at least one metric variable associated to the user.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for tracing a digital information element in a computer system comprising electronic devices of a plurality of users and an archiving system for archiving digital information elements comprising a first blockchain-type distributed database, the method comprising:
 receiving the digital information element from an electronic device of a user of the plurality of users, wherein the digital information element includes digital information of technical information in a form of text and drawings of a timepiece, 
 archiving said digital information element, said archiving step comprising generating an identification element indicating a version of the digital information element including the digital information of the timepiece, wherein the archiving step comprises storing both the digital information element and the generated identification element in a second database of the archiving system to which the electronic devices of the users are connected, the second database being different from the first database, and 
 adding, to the first database, the generated identification element having been signed using a secure element, being a key or a certificate, associated with said user and/or the electronic device, said adding step comprising encrypting the generated identification element using a cryptographic algorithm and the secure element, the cryptographic algorithm using at least one metric variable associated with the user to encrypt the generated identification element, 
 wherein the at least one metric variable used by the cryptographic algorithm includes a date on which the adding step is initiated and a biometric variable relating to biological characteristics of the user and is different from the secure element used in the signing of the generated identification element. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the generating step comprises calculating a hash value of said digital information element to generate the identification element. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one metric variable used by the cryptographic algorithm further includes an environment variable relating to environmental characteristics of the user. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the environment variable comprises a value relating to a temperature, to a degree of humidity, or to an atmospheric pressure measured in an environment in which the user is located. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising accessing the system for archiving digital information elements by the electronic device of one of the users from an access element associated with the electronic device and/or to the user. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the secure element is a private key and the access element is an electronic certificate or a public key. 
     
     
       7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program comprising program code instructions for execution of the steps of the method according to  claim 1 , when said program is executed by control circuitry of the archiving system and the electronic device of the user.